Questions of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Helena, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands Resolutions

A/RES/57/138A-BView PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 19 Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, published in 2003.

What other versions does this mandate have?

6 versions · 1997–2003

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2003	A/RES/57/138A-B	Questions of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Helena, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands resolutions	7,068	62%Compare
2002	A/RES/56/72	Questions of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Helena, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands resolutions	6,021	93%Compare
2001	A/RES/55/144	Questions of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Helena, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands resolutions	6,086	87%Compare
2000	A/RES/54/90	Questions of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Helena, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands resolutions	5,556	81%Compare
1999	A/RES/53/67	Questions of American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Helena, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands resolutions	5,016	80%Compare

What subjects does this mandate have?

15 subjects

American Samoa Question Anguilla Question Bermuda Question British Virgin Islands Question Cayman Islands Question Decolonization Guam Question Montserrat Question Non-Self-Governing Territories Pitcairn Question Political Status Saint Helena Question Self-Determination of Peoples Turks and Caicos Islands Question United States Virgin Islands Question

What’s in this document?

82 operative paragraphs

A

Reaffirms the inalienable right of the peoples of the Territories to self-determination, including, if they so wish, independence, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations and with General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV), containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples;

Reaffirms also that it is ultimately for the peoples of the Territories themselves to determine freely their future political status in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter, the Declaration and the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly, and in that connection calls upon the administering Powers, in cooperation with the territorial Governments, to facilitate programmes of political education in the Territories in order to foster an awareness among the people of their right to self-determination in conformity with the legitimate political status options, based on the principles clearly defined in General Assembly resolution 1541 (XV);

Reaffirms further that, in the process of decolonization, there is no alternative to the principle of self-determination, which is also a fundamental human right;

Requests the administering Powers to transmit to the Secretary-General information called for under Article 73 e of the Charter and other updated information and reports, including reports on the wishes and aspirations of the peoples of the Territories regarding their future political status as expressed in fair and free referendums and other forms of popular consultation, as well as the results of any informed and democratic processes consistent with practice under the Charter that indicate the clear and freely expressed wish of the people to change the existing status of the Territories;

Stresses the importance for it to be apprised of the views and wishes of the peoples of the Territories and to enhance its understanding of their conditions;

Reaffirms that United Nations visiting missions to the Territories at an appropriate time and in consultation with the administering Powers are an effective means of ascertaining the situation in the Territories, and requests the administering Powers and the elected representatives of the peoples of the Territories to assist the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples in this regard;

Reaffirms also the responsibility of the administering Powers under the Charter to promote the economic and social development and to preserve the cultural identity of the Territories, and recommends that priority continue to be given, in consultation with the territorial Governments concerned, to the strengthening and diversification of their respective economies;

Requests the administering Powers, in consultation with the peoples of the Territories, to take all necessary measures to protect and conserve the environment of the Territories under their administration against any environmental degradation, and requests the specialized agencies concerned to continue to monitor environmental conditions in those Territories;

Calls upon the administering Powers, in cooperation with the respective territorial Governments, to continue to take all necessary measures to counter problems related to drug trafficking, money-laundering and other offences;

Notes the cooperative efforts of some Non-Self-Governing Territories to address the problem of illegal drugs, with a focus on demand reduction, education, treatment and legal issues;

Notes with concern that the plan of action for the first International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism⁹ was not fully implemented by 2000, and stresses the importance of implementing the plan of action for the Second Decade,Error: Reference source not found in particular through the development of work programmes for the decolonization of each Non-Self-Governing Territory, on a case-by-case basis, including periodic analyses of each Territory and the review of the impact of the economic and social situation on the constitutional and political advancement of the Territories;

⁹See A/46/634/Rev.1 and Corr.1, annex.

Calls upon the administering Powers to enter into constructive dialogue with the Special Committee before the fifty-eighth session of the General Assembly to develop a framework for the implementation of the provisions of Article 73 e of the Charter and the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples for the period 2001–2010;

Notes the particular circumstances that prevail in the Territories concerned, and encourages the political evolution in them towards self-determination;

Urges Member States to contribute to the efforts of the United Nations to usher in a world free of colonialism during the twenty-first century, and calls upon them to continue to give their full support to the Special Committee in its endeavours towards that noble goal;

Invites the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to initiate or to continue to take all necessary measures to accelerate progress in the economic and social life of the Territories, and calls for closer cooperation between the Special Committee and the Economic and Social Council in furtherance of the provision of assistance to the Territories;

Notes that some Non-Self-Governing Territories have expressed concern at the procedure followed by one administering Power, contrary to the wishes of the Territories themselves, namely, amending or enacting legislation for the Territories through Orders in Council, while recognizing that such Orders in Council were necessary for the administering Power to fulfil its international treaty obligations;

Takes note of statements made by the elected representatives of the Territories concerned emphasizing their willingness to cooperate with all international efforts aimed at preventing abuse of the international financial system and to promote regulatory environments with highly selective licensing procedures, robust supervisory practices and well-established anti-money-laundering regimes;

Calls for an enhanced and constructive dialogue between the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the territorial Governments concerned, with a view to achieving the highest standards of financial supervision, and requests the administering Powers to assist those Territories in this matter;

Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly on the implementation of decolonization resolutions since the declaration of the International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism;

Requests the Special Committee to continue to examine the question of the small Territories and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its fifty-eighth session with recommendations on appropriate ways to assist the peoples of the Territories in exercising their right to self-determination.

B

I.American Samoa

Requests the administering Power, bearing in mind the views of the people of the Territory ascertained through a democratic process, to keep the Secretary-General informed of the wishes and aspirations of the people regarding their future political status;

Notes that the Department of the Interior of the United States of America provides that the Secretary of the Interior has administrative jurisdiction over American Samoa;

Takes note with interest of the statement delivered by the Territory’s delegate to the United States Congress at the Caribbean regional seminar, held at Havana from 23 to 25 May 2001,¹¹ in which he indicated that he was not aware that the administering Power had selected American Samoa to be reviewed under the case-by-case informal method adopted by the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples and the administering Power;

¹¹See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-sixth Session, Supplement No. 23 (A/56/23), chap. II, annex, para. 31.

Calls upon the administering Power to continue to assist the territorial Government in the economic and social development of the Territory, including measures to rebuild financial management capabilities and strengthen other governmental functions of the Government of the Territory;

Welcomes the invitation extended to the Special Committee by the Governor of American Samoa to send a visiting mission to the Territory;

II.Anguilla

Conscious of the commitment of both the Government of Anguilla and the administering Power to a new and closer policy of dialogue and partnership through the Strategic Country Programme 2000–2003,

Aware of the efforts of the Government of Anguilla to continue to develop the Territory as a viable offshore centre and well-regulated financial centre for investors, by enacting modern company and trust laws, as well as partnership and insurance legislation, and computerizing the company registry system,

Noting the need for continued cooperation between the administering Power and the territorial Government in tackling the problems of drug trafficking and money-laundering,

Calls upon the administering Power and all States, organizations and United Nations agencies to continue to assist the Territory in social and economic development;

Welcomes the Country Cooperation Framework of the United Nations Development Programme for the period 1997–1999 and its extension currently being implemented following consultations with the territorial Government and key development partners in the United Nations system and the donor community, and also welcomes the inclusion of the Territory by the United Nations Development Programme in its 2001–2003 subregional cooperation framework for the countries members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States and Barbados;

Takes note of the assessment by the Caribbean Development Bank, in its 2000 report on the Territory, that growth slowed to 1 per cent in 2000 from 7.5 per cent in 1999 as a result of damage caused by hurricane Lenny; that tourism, the largest contributor to the gross domestic product, declined following the closure of several hotels, with the resultant negative impact on employment; that the cessation of aluminium trans-shipment to Europe eroded government revenue; and that medium-term growth prospects remained favourable given the expected recovery in the tourism sector;

Notes that the Caribbean Development Bank, in its study entitled “International and regional economic background in 2001 and prospects”, noted that the Territory experienced improved performance in 2001, when a 2 per cent rate of expansion represented a recovery from the contraction in 2000 caused by hurricane damage;

Welcomes the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Caribbean Development Bank and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to conduct a country poverty assessment for the Territory;

Also welcomes the establishment of the constitutional reform process, which puts emphasis on public information and education and is expected to create a participatory environment in which changes to the Constitution effective in the Territory can be formulated and recommended to the administering Power, pursuant to the recommendations as stated in its White Paper entitled “Partnership for Progress and Prosperity: Britain and the Overseas Territories”;¹²

¹²A/AC.109/1999/1 and Corr.1, annex.

Further welcomes the convening in the Territory in June 2002 of the thirty-fifth meeting of the Authority of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, in which the Territory enjoys associate membership;

III.Bermuda

Noting the results of the independence referendum held on 16 August 1995, and conscious of the different viewpoints of the political parties of the Territory on the future status of the Territory,

Noting also the discussions between the Territory and the administering Power on internal constitutional changes,

Calls upon the administering Power to continue to work with the Territory for its socio-economic development;

Welcomes the agreement reached in June 2002 between the United States of America, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Territory formally transferring the former military base lands to the territorial Government, and the provision of financial resources to address some of the environmental problems;

Also welcomes the accession of the Territory to associate membership in the Caribbean Community;

IV.British Virgin Islands

Noting the last constitutional review in the Territory, conducted by the administering Power in 1993–1994, the coming into force of the amended Constitution, and the appointment by the territorial Government of a committee to assess the implications of independence for the implementation of a recommendation of the 1993 review,

Noting also the results of the constitutional review of 1993–1994, which made it clear that a prerequisite to independence must be a constitutionally expressed wish of the people as a result of a referendum,

Taking note of the motion adopted by the Legislative Council in March 2002, requesting the administering Power to appoint a commission to review the Constitution with the aim of modernizing it, paying specific attention to the creation of a sixth ministerial post, the standing of the Territory’s “belonger” status and the devolution of power from the representative of the administering Power to the elected Government,

Noting that the Territory continues to emerge as one of the world’s leading offshore financial centres, and that the financial services sector is becoming the cornerstone of the Government’s recurrent budget, accounting for over 50 per cent of government revenue, and also noting the establishment of the Financial Services Commission,

Noting also the need for continued cooperation between the administering Power and the territorial Government in countering drug trafficking and money-laundering, and further noting that the Territory hosted a meeting of the British Overseas Territories’ Drug Prevention Conference in January 2002,

Noting further that the Territory commemorated its annual British Virgin Islands-United States Virgin Islands Friendship Day on 11 May 2002 in official ceremonies held in Tortola,

Requests the administering Power, the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system and all financial institutions to continue to provide the Territory with assistance for socio-economic development and the development of human resources, bearing in mind the vulnerability of the Territory to external factors;

Takes note of the adoption by the Legislative Council of the Territory of the Corporal Punishment Abolition Act 2000, which brought to an end the exercise of such a power by the court or other authority;

Welcomes the completion of the airport terminal facility, which was the largest capital project of the Government;

Also welcomes the convening in the Territory in 2001 of a summit of elected leaders of Caribbean Territories, which addressed issues of constitution and governance, immigration and nationality, human rights, social development, civil aviation and safety, and environmental issues;

V.Cayman Islands

Noting the formation for the first time of a political party in the Territory and the subsequent change of government in November 2001,

Aware that the Territory has one of the highest per capita incomes in the region, a stable political climate and virtually no unemployment,

Noting the actions taken by the territorial Government to implement its localization programme to promote increased participation by the local population in the decision-making process in the Cayman Islands,

Noting with concern the vulnerability of the Territory to drug trafficking, money-laundering and related activities, and noting the measures taken by the authorities to deal with those problems,

Noting also that the Territory has emerged as one of the world’s leading offshore financial centres,

Noting further the approval by the Cayman Islands Legislative Assembly of the Territory’s Vision 2008 Development Plan, which aims to promote development that is consistent with the aims and values of Caymanian society,

Welcoming the convening in the Territory in September 2001 of the Human Rights Today Caribbean Symposium,

Takes note of the adoption by the Legislative Assembly in 2001 of a referendum law, which confirmed that only a referendum makes it possible for the electorate to give a clear judgement on a single issue of immediate relevance and that the Constitution of the Cayman Islands can be amended only through a referendum;

Requests the administering Power, the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to continue to provide the territorial Government with all required expertise to enable it to achieve its socio-economic aims;

Requests the administering Power, in consultation with the territorial Government, to continue to facilitate the expansion of the current programme of securing employment for the local population, in particular at the decision-making level;

Welcomes the implementation of the Country Cooperation Framework of the United Nations Development Programme for the Territory, which is designed to ascertain national development priorities and United Nations assistance needs;

Notes the negative impact on the economy of the Territory of the slowdown in economic performance in the world, as well as the determination of the new Government to modernize the economic structure and intensify the implementation of its financial management initiative;

Welcomes the accession of the Territory to associate membership in the Caribbean Community;

Also welcomes the completion of the report of the Constitutional Review Commission, which conducted an extensive review of the current Constitution, and the recommended changes, following public discussions with community groups and individuals, pursuant to the recommendations of the administering Power as stated in its White Paper entitled “Partnership for Progress and Prosperity: Britain and the Overseas Territories”.11

VI.Guam

Recalling that, in a referendum held in 1987, the registered and eligible voters of Guam endorsed a draft Guam Commonwealth Act that would establish a new framework for relations between the Territory and the administering Power, providing for a greater measure of internal self-government for Guam and recognition of the right of the Chamorro people of Guam to self-determination for the Territory,

Recalling also its resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, and all resolutions and decisions of the United Nations relating to the Non-Self-Governing Territories, in particular, General Assembly resolutions 56/72 A and B of 10 December 2001,

Recalling further the requests by the elected representatives and non-governmental organizations of the Territory that Guam not be removed from the list of the Non-Self-Governing Territories with which the Special Committee is concerned, pending the self-determination of the Chamorro people and taking into account their legitimate rights and interests,

Aware that negotiations between the administering Power and the territorial Government on the draft Guam Commonwealth Act are no longer continuing and that Guam has established the process for a self-determination vote by the eligible Chamorro voters,

Cognizant that the administering Power continues to implement its programme of transferring surplus federal land to the Government of Guam,

Noting that the people of the Territory have called for reform in the programme of the administering Power with respect to the thorough, unconditional and expeditious transfer of land property to the people of Guam,

Conscious that immigration into Guam has resulted in the indigenous Chamorros becoming a minority in their homeland,

Aware of the potential for diversifying and developing the economy of Guam through commercial fishing and agriculture and other viable activities,

Noting the proposed closing and realigning of four United States Navy installations on Guam and the request for the establishment of a transition period to develop some of the closed facilities as commercial enterprises,

Recalling the dispatch in 1979 of a United Nations visiting mission to the Territory, and noting the recommendation of the 1996 Pacific regional seminar for sending a visiting mission to Guam,¹³

¹³See A/AC.109/2058, para. 33 (20).

Taking note with interest of the statements made and the information on the political and economic situation in Guam provided by the representatives of the Territory to the Pacific regional seminar, held at Nadi, Fiji, from 14 to 16 May 2002,¹⁴

¹⁴See A/57/23 (Part I), chap. II, annex, para. 39. For the final text, see Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-seventh Session, Supplement No. 23.

Concerned that the latest census figures in the Territory show that the percentage of persons living in poverty increased from 14 per cent in 1990 to 23 per cent in 2000,

Requests the administering Power to work with Guam’s Commission on Decolonization for the Implementation and Exercise of Chamorro Self-Determination with a view to facilitating Guam’s decolonization and to keep the Secretary-General informed of the progress to that end;

Calls upon the administering Power to take into consideration the expressed will of the Chamorro people as supported by Guam voters in the plebiscite of 1987 and as provided for in Guam law, encourages the administering Power and the territorial Government of Guam to enter into negotiations on the matter, and requests the administering Power to inform the Secretary-General of progress to that end;

Requests the administering Power to continue to assist the elected territorial Government in achieving its political, economic and social goals;

Also requests the administering Power, in cooperation with the territorial Government, to continue to transfer land to the original landowners of the Territory;

Further requests the administering Power to continue to recognize and respect the political rights and the cultural and ethnic identity of the Chamorro people of Guam, and to take all necessary measures to respond to the concerns of the territorial Government with regard to the question of immigration;

Requests the administering Power to cooperate in establishing programmes specifically intended to promote the sustainable development of economic activities and enterprises, noting the special role of the Chamorro people in the development of Guam;

Also requests the administering Power to continue to support appropriate measures by the territorial Government aimed at promoting growth in commercial fishing and agricultural and other viable activities;

VII.Montserrat

Noting that elections to the Legislative Council were held in the Territory in 2001, resulting in the assumption of office by the New People’s Liberation Movement,

Taking note with interest of the statements made and the information on the political and economic situation in Montserrat provided by the elected representative of the Territory to the Caribbean regional seminar, held at Havana from 23 to 25 May 2001,¹⁵

¹⁵See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-sixth Session, Supplement No. 23 (A/56/23), chap. II, annex, para. 34.

Noting that the last visiting mission to the Territory was dispatched in 1982,

Noting with concern the dire consequences of a volcanic eruption, which led to the evacuation of three quarters of the Territory’s population to safe areas of the island and to areas outside the Territory, in particular Antigua and Barbuda and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and which continues to have a negative impact upon the economy of the island,

Welcoming the continued assistance provided to the Territory by States members of the Caribbean Community, in particular Antigua and Barbuda, which has offered safe refuge and access to educational and health facilities, as well as employment for thousands who have left the Territory,

Noting the efforts of the administering Power and the Government of the Territory to meet the emergency situation caused by the volcanic eruption, including the implementation of a wide range of contingency measures for both the private and the public sectors in Montserrat,

Noting also the coordinated response measures taken by the United Nations Development Programme and the assistance of the United Nations disaster management team,

Noting with concern that a number of the inhabitants of the Territory continue to live in shelters because of volcanic activity,

Welcoming the inclusion of the Territory by the United Nations Development Programme in its 2001–2003 subregional cooperation framework for the countries members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States and Barbados,

Noting the establishment in 2001 of the Montserrat Financial Services Commission, which is responsible for the licensing and supervision of all financial services, with the exception of domestic banks,

Calls upon the administering Power, the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system as well as regional and other organizations to continue to provide urgent emergency assistance to the Territory in alleviating the consequences of the volcanic eruption;

Welcomes the support of the Caribbean Community in the construction of housing in the safe zone to alleviate a shortage caused by the environmental and human crisis of the eruption of the Montsoufriere volcano, as well as the material and financial support from the international community to help alleviate the suffering caused by the crisis;

Also welcomes the Chief Minister’s 2002 budget presentation, in which he noted that in 2001, for the first time in seven years, the economy of Montserrat experienced positive growth, from a negative rate of 5.43 per cent in 2000 to 0.4 per cent in 2001, the implementation of several major public works projects accounting for growth in the construction sector;

Takes note of the statement of the Chief Minister that his Government would explore the possibilities of securing additional finance from sources other than the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and that the main sources under consideration were the Caribbean Development Bank and the European Investment Bank;

Welcomes the establishment of the Constitutional Review Commission, which will embark on a public education programme on the Constitution, ascertain the views of the population and make recommendations to the administering Power on changes which may be envisaged, pursuant to the recommendations as stated in its White Paper entitled “Partnership for Progress and Prosperity: Britain and the Overseas Territories”;11

VIII.Pitcairn

Taking into account the unique nature of Pitcairn in terms of population and area,

Welcoming the participation of an expert from Pitcairn for the first time in the Pacific regional seminar, held at Nadi, Fiji, from 14 to 16 May 2002,

Also requests the administering Power to continue its assistance for the improvement of the economic, social, educational and other conditions of the population of the Territory;

Calls upon the administering Power to continue its discussions with the representatives of Pitcairn on how best to support their economic security;

IX.St. Helena

Taking into account the unique character of St. Helena, its population and its natural resources,

Noting that a Commission of Inquiry into the Constitution appointed at the request of the Legislative Council of St. Helena reported its recommendations in March 1999, and that the Legislative Councillors are currently considering its recommendations,

Aware of the establishment by the territorial Government of the Development Agency in 1995 to encourage private sector commercial development on the island,

Also aware of the efforts of the administering Power and the territorial authorities to improve the socio-economic conditions of the population of St. Helena, in particular in the sphere of food production, continuing high unemployment and limited transport and communications, and calls for continuing negotiations to allow access to Ascension Island by civilian charter flights,

Noting with concern the problem of unemployment on the island and the joint action of the administering Power and the territorial Government to deal with it,

Welcomes the commitment of the administering Power to consider carefully suggestions for specific proposals for constitutional change made by territorial Governments, as stated in its White Paper entitled “Partnership for Progress and Prosperity: Britain and the Overseas Territories”;11

Requests the administering Power and relevant regional and international organizations to continue to support the efforts of the territorial Government to address the socio-economic development challenges, including the high unemployment and the limited transport and communications problems;

X.Turks and Caicos Islands

Noting that the People’s Democratic Movement was elected to power in the Legislative Council elections held in March 1999,

Also noting the efforts by the Government of the Territory to strengthen financial management in the public sector, including efforts to increase revenue,

Noting with concern the vulnerability of the Territory to drug trafficking and related activities, as well as its problems caused by illegal immigration,

Noting the need for continued cooperation between the administering Power and the territorial Government in countering drug trafficking and money-laundering,

Welcoming the assessment by the Caribbean Development Bank in its 2000 report that the economic performance of the Territory remained strong, with an increase in gross domestic product estimated at 8 per cent, reflecting strong growth in the tourism and construction sectors,

Also welcoming the convening in the Territory in January 2002 of the fourteenth meeting of the Bureau of the Caribbean Community, a regional organization in which the Territory enjoys associate membership,

Invites the administering Power to take fully into account the wishes and interests of the Government and the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands in the governance of the Territory;

Calls upon the administering Power and the relevant regional and international organizations to continue to provide assistance for the improvement of the economic, social, educational and other conditions of the population of the Territory;

Also calls upon the administering Power and the territorial Government to continue to cooperate to counter problems related to money-laundering, smuggling of funds and other related crimes, as well as drug trafficking;

Welcomes the first Country Cooperation Framework approved by the United Nations Development Programme for the period 1998–2002, which should, inter alia, assist in the development of a national integrated development plan that will put in place procedures for determining the national development priorities over ten years, the focus of attention being on health, population, education, tourism and economic and social development;

XI.United States Virgin Islands

Taking note with interest of the statements made and the information provided by the representative of the Governor of the Territory to the Pacific regional seminar, held at Nadi, Fiji, from 14 to 16 May 2002,¹⁶

¹⁶A/57/23 (Part I), chap. II, annex, para. 38. For the final text, see Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-seventh Session, Supplement No. 23.

Noting the continuing interest of the territorial Government in seeking associate membership in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States and observer status in the Caribbean Community and the current request by the Territory to the administering Power for the delegation of authority to proceed,

Noting also the necessity of further diversifying the economy of the Territory,

Noting further the efforts of the Government of the Territory to promote the Territory as an offshore financial services centre,

Recalling the dispatch in 1977 of a United Nations visiting mission to the Territory,

Noting that the Territory commemorated its annual British Virgin Islands-United States Virgin Islands Friendship Day on 11 May 2002 in official ceremonies on St. Thomas,

Also requests the administering Power to continue to assist the territorial Government in achieving its political, economic and social goals;

Further requests the administering Power to facilitate the participation of the Territory, as appropriate, in various organizations, in particular the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, the Caribbean Community and the Association of Caribbean States;

Notes with satisfaction that continuing measures being taken by the elected territorial Government have eased the fiscal crisis, and calls upon the administering Power to continue to provide every assistance required by the Territory to further alleviate the difficult economic situation, including, inter alia, the provision of debt relief and loans;

Notes with interest the entering into force in 2001 of the joint memorandum of cooperation on the exchange of artefacts between the Territory and Denmark, the Territory’s former administering Power, as a companion agreement to the 1999 memorandum for the repatriation of archival material from the Danish colonial period, consistent with the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance on 8 September 2001,¹⁷ and requests the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, under its records and archives management programme, to assist the Territory in carrying out its archival and artefacts initiative;

¹⁷See A/CONF.189/12 and Corr.1, chap. I.

Notes the position of the territorial Government opposing the assumption by the administering Power of submerged land in territorial waters, having regard to relevant resolutions of the General Assembly on the ownership and control of natural resources, including marine resources, by the people of the Non-Self-Governing Territories, and its calls for the return of those marine resources to the people of the Territory;

Notes with concern that the last census figures for the Territory indicate that 32.5 per cent of the population is living in poverty, and that 47 per cent of children on St. Croix and 33 per cent of children on St. Thomas live in poverty.